Why SHIELD?
by Smalker13
Summary: "She doesn't care if it's not in the job outline, or that it's considered 'beneath' her. This is in many ways her agency, and she will choose the people who work there." 15 different answers to one question. Note: I own neither Agents of Shield, nor Agent Carter (so consider this disclaimed), and this does contain spoilers for season 1 of the latter show.


She doesn't care if it's not in the job outline, or that it's considered 'beneath' her. This is in many ways _her_ agency, and she _will_ choose the people who work there.

 _3._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

It's the last question she asks him.

He seems to hesitate, and she does _not_ have much time, so she restates the question.

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D, Mr. Coulson?"

He seems to have come to a decision, and for the first time, in the entirety of the interview, he meets her eyes.

"Captain America."

 _4._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"It's not the CIA."

And her mother works over _there_ , so that makes sense, but there's something else _off…_

"Why not the FBI? NCIS? NSA? The military?"

"Because S.H.I.E.L.D was founded by a women,"

Melinda May's piercing gaze shows that she is not fooled by Peggy's disguise, courtesy of Angie, but she's the second of _all_ potential recruits to get it, so Peggy's not too worried…

"And because S.H.I.E.L.D is supposed to be about protection. Of _everyone_."

 _2._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"You want the truth?"

"Preferably, yes."

He snorts, and she has to resist a smile at Nick Fury's utter lack of formality.

"Because S.H.I.E.L.D didn't care that I was _black_."

 _5._

"Agent Barton."

"Agent Carter."

The hallway is deserted, and none of the security cams in the area are working, _well_ , none at the moment. In essence, a _perfect_ place to meet.

"Coulson said he's recruited you to our cause."

"He has."

"And why have you chosen S.H.I.E.L.D, when you were on the _opposite_ side of the law before?"

"Because if I die in S.H.I.E.L.D, it'll be my own fault."

 _9._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Because John Garrett saved my life."

"And if _he_ were to _stop_ being S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Is that a threat?"

"No."

"Oh. Then, I don't know."

"Mr. Ward?"

He sighs, and she wonders what she would do, if she had to choose between her brother and her agency.

She's rather glad she doesn't have to.

"I think it would depend on _why_ he stopped being S.H.I.E.L.D."

 _7._

Natasha Romanoff she does differently.

The room is set up like an interrogation, but she refuses to comply to the standards others have set, and so she takes the girl out into the hallway.

They're all children, to her. Even if they're really not.

"Did you ever meet Dottie?"

Surprise flitters across her face before, "Who?"

"She went by Dottie Underwood. Sent to infiltrate the SSR, make Howard Stark a fugitive, had the help of Dr. Johann Fennhoff, a hypnotist, in '47. She was blonde when I knew her, with curls and blue eyes."

"She was a Black Widow?"

"She grew up in the Red Room."

Peggy sees her arms stiffen before the girl forces herself to remain calm, again.

"So did I."

"The Black Widows tend to, if I recall. You said you were in training, the last time we met."

Natasha's face stays carefully blank, this time. "Margaret Carter."

She nods, in response. "Natalia."

"I suppose you're asking why I'm here when I refused before?"

Seeing as she is, she finds no need to treat the girl like an idiot.

"Because Barton did not kill me, and he should have."

She begins to walk away, and Peggy does not stop her.

"In time, I think, they will all be very happy, that Barton made a different call."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

She stops, turns back, for a second. Meets Peggy's eyes.

"I met her twice. She died… unusually peaceful."

 _6._

Though they keep things off the record, Maria Hill is the youngest to _ever_ join S.H.I.E.L.D, at 14 years of age.

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

She smirks, but it's not at all cocky. "The military said I was too _young_."

"And?"

"Your person said S.H.I.E.L.D would take me instead."

"Because…"

"Murderers are _dangerous_ , especially, in self-defense."

"And the third option?"

"Foster system." Her voice sounds grim, and _remarkably_ , honest.

"So?"

The girl rolls her eyes. "I joined S.H.I.E.L.D. because it was the best option. The _only_ option, really."

 _8._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"You advertise well."

Bobbi Morse seems completely fine with leaving that statement be, in the complete monotone as she said it, and Peggy reduces the urge to sigh.

"We _advertise_ well."

"You mentioned _languages_."

There is such passion in her voice, that it startles Peggy. This girl is in _operations_ , not communications, afterall.

"And, you said you'd teach us how to _fight_. To protect others, _and_ to protect ourselves. You said you'd teach us how to _lie_. So we wouldn't _crack_. So we _couldn't_ take anyone down with us. But _really_ , it was because you mentioned languages."

 _11._

"Aunt Peggy?"

"Trip?"

The grandson, of one of the howling commandos, it does not surprise her that he too, has made it here, rather, it surprises her that she did not hear of it beforehand.

She sighs, then, because him being here can only mean one thing. "Does that mean Sharon's joining up too?"

His smile that's almost a smirk says it all.

They're so young, these days, and she hates to watch them fade.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

But it's their choice, _dammit_ , not hers, and she can respect that, even when she doesn't want to.

She sighs again, this time because she doesn't want to let Trip - who used to be so _fine_ with being called Antoine rather than his last name, who used to be eight years old running circles around her - go. Not _again_. But then, that is always a choice she has chosen to make - nothing and no one's going to stop her now.

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

A question she can already guess his answer to.

Nonetheless, he answers like a soldier, ready for battle.

"Because Grandad fought the good fight, and won, and _dad_ ," there is a tinge of sadness, there, "he fought too. And I'm going to do the same thing. To keep the world a better place."

She can hear the utter, absolute, conviction in his voice as he makes his statement. He nods, then, to her, as he leaves. "Agent Carter."

Perhaps, she muses sadly, he is.

 _1._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

The women in front of her tilts her head to the side, studying her. Trying, Peggy can tell, to figure out who she is. How, she has the authority to _ask_ such a question, without fearing the consequences.

She can tell by the small, amused smile on Victoria Hand's face when she figures it out.

And it is odd, to interview someone whom she has worked with, but fair, is fair, somewhat unfortunately.

" _They_ offered me a job first."

 _13._

The one time she interviews two people together, they barely realize she's in the room.

They're young, ridiculously so, both of them at 16, but geniuses nonetheless, she can tell.

"He's Fitz." "She's Simmons."

The glance at each other, then look back at her.

"You're here about the drones?" he doesn't let her comment, "well, we've got a better name for them too. The D.W.A.R.F.s -," "Drones Wirelessly Automated to Retrieve Forensics -" "because there's seven of them, just like -," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. It's a bit old fashioned, of course, but it works." "Yeah, took you ages to agree to it. Don't see why we could have gone with the monkey idea -" "Oh, Fitz, we already talked about this!" "Yeah, yeah, no monkeys, couldn't even go with bananas -" "- 'bananas' can't be an acronym when you need the word _forensic_ in it -"

Peggy clears her throat to interrupt them.

Simmons grimaces before shooting a look at her partner, "Anyway, they can scan, examine, collect data, and do surveillance -" "- there's even a cloaking device on them." "And, you don't have to be there to actually access them," "- just do it straight from an ipad. Or a phone. Or a computer. Or -" "you get the idea."

She does, and she's rather amused, though she doesn't show it.

"Do you like S.H.I.E.L.D?" It's a bit blunt, her question, but they answer it anyway.

"Well, I was going to go over to Stark originally," "- thank god you didn't," "- but then S.H.I.E.L.D discovered cloaking," "- should've seen the helicarrier, _it_ was a piece of art -" "- so you keep saying, Fitz, honestly -"

She leaves the room without them noticing.

They're young, they're there because of science, and probably because of each other, too.

She thinks she'll leave them be, and she does.

 _12._

The interview she hates the most is with the one who she's watched grow up.

There's been Trip, of course, but Sharon is dear to her in a way Trip is not.

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Her niece smiles sadly back at her.

"It was never _not_ going to be S.H.I.E.L.D."

Which, honestly, is probably her fault.

 _14._

"Are you joining up at S.H.I.E.L.D as well, Steve?"

She doesn't remember much, these days, but she'll always remember _him,_ and she remembers enough to know that this is not his first visit to see her.

"You created it," his smile is still the same, so unsure yet simultaneously confident, "Of course, I'm going to join."

 _10._

"Why S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"To protect."

"Anyone in particular?"

"My job is to protect everyone."

"Indeed it is, but who made _you_ join initially?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Please answer the question, Agent Mackenzie."

"My brother. He's _just_ a kid - he should be able to stay that way for as long as he wants."

 _15._

The last interview she ever does is brought to her by Coulson.

It is rare, for her to remember much of anything these days, and she can feel herself fading away. Today, however, is a somewhat _good_ day.

"I thought you were dead," she mumbles out at Coulson when he appears, so different from the nerdy boy she'd once offered a job to.

"I was," he says, and disappears into the shadows.

A girl takes his place, hair cut short, dark, black bruises lining her face and arms, weary, yet seemingly ready for battle.

"What's your name?"

It's interesting, to watch the girl hesitate, to try to make up her mind.

"You're Agent Carter?"

"No, dear," because she isn't, really, not anymore, "I haven't been Agent Carter for the longest time. You could call me Peggy, if you wanted to."

The girl shakes her head. "Thank you, but no. I'm Skye."

"Are you a part of S.H.I.E.L.D, then?" She asks, gesturing at the shadowy corner where Coulson had disappeared.

"S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't exist."

"Of course it doesn't, yet you're still here."

There is silence, and for a moment, she lets the girl fidget. "Why?"

"Because they're my family," Her words are barely a whisper, yet still loud enough for Peggy to follow. "Because they're all I have left."


End file.
